Neighbors complaining about noise

Birdyblue

Me and my boyfriend have been renting an apt for more than a year now. We had no parties and no loud music, no guests, nothing of the sort, just sometimes maybe loud laughs or some movie on high volume, usually when something like that happened I'd tone it down because i've been living in apartments my whole life and know how such noise carries.

Well some weeks ago new neighbors moved into the apt downstairs. We got a "letter" in our mailbox supposedly from a neighbor asking us to quiet down a bit. Letter was printed and not signed, nor did it say which neighbors we were bothering. This letter said they could hear TV, washing machine after 10 pm. Which was weird because we don't have a TV (well I suppose it could be the computer) and literally in over 1 year I have not washed anything at late hours (reason is simple: I wash the mornings when weather seems fine simply because if I don't dry clothes during the day, they get this really nasty smell).

We started watching movies barely hearing anything, reading subtitles instead.

Few days after, our neighbor from downstairs knocks at our door and talks to my boyfriend, she's pleading and sounds quite desperate. Apparently our water pump doesn't let her sleep and for 2 weeks or so she hasn't been able to sleep at all.
Of course we feel for her and start wondering what could be wrong with our water pump. We can't exactly hear it when the only thing separating us from it is a wooden door,

Our neighbor suggests we put a switch on the pump and turn it off at night. We show some concern because we are young and never had to deal with these things, we didn't know how this worked. She said we wouldn't have any problems except shower won't have enough pressure. At this point she already got our phone number and our landlord's too.

Our landlord talks to them and we all agree to put this switch and turn it off at 10 pm. So we do, except now our toilet has absolutely no water supply. We don't go to sleep at 10 pm and found it unacceptable to not have water in the toilet at least until 12. So some days we turned it off later, but always before 11 or 12.

Every time we turned it off later than 10 we got text messages on our phone that night or first thing in the morning. We started to get really annoyed by it. At first my boyfriend answered saying we need water int he toilet at least till 11 a clock. They agreed for 11 at some point, but then started to message us again at 10.

They sugegsted us another plumber to come check the pump. He came, he checked, he put some rubbers on it and said was okay. Again we got messages at night to turn off the pump.

Some other night we needed water on that toilet for a bit later, and the next morning we got a message from them saying that other neighbor also complained (to them!) that they hear a washing machine (?!) and they told them it was us and these neighbors consider writing to the management because their kid can't sleep.

To me, this situation is very suspicious. The thing with the unsigned letter is weird enough to make me wonder if it's the same neighbors from downstairs who try to make it sound like everybody is complaining about us. I also can't see why a neighbor would complain to them about us and not simply knock our door and tell us.
Our landlord, after being contacted by them, told us he is very sorry and had no clue the water pump made such noise (he's been living here before) but there's not much he can do about it and cant soundproof the whole building.

I've been very stressed about this, I don't want to cause any problems, especially for our landlord, who's been very nice to us. I've been trying to research the issue because I find it absolutely ridiculous that someone can tell me WHEN to not use my toilet! But i don't find anything related to "acceptable domestic noise" or anything of the sort, related to noise coming from appliances that ensure a basic level of hygiene or so. Besides, I repeat, we barely hear this water pump at all, in our own apt, staying just behind the door.
For example, I found regulations from Australia that present a full list of acceptable appliances, the water pump and heating appliances are all exceptions from noise time limitations. I need to find some similar information for Ireland, if it even exists.

athtrasna

Have you offered to sit in the downstairs apartment to test it yourself? Seems like a reasonable way to prove if the neighbour is lying?

05eaftqbrs9jlh

I feel your pain because we rent too and having unruly neighbours complaining can make life hard for even the most easy-going of people. Obviously in close quarters everyone needs to have respect for everyone else, but a degree of tolerance and compromise is always preferable to animosity.

Did the landlord ever get complaints about the noises before she moved in? The problem is with her not being able to deal with the sound. You've been more than accommodating with her to date and she's still complaining. You've obviously had to draw the line at compromising your sanitation, so there's nothing else to be done unless the landlord succeeds in reducing the noise. She may have to move out, but it's not up to you to say it. I'd just wait.

Grab All Association

Get a cheap inexpensive nanny type camera or camcorder with audio recording. Start recording at 10pm sit back and live/enjoy your flat. If she comes knocking at your door tell her to f**k off and close the door on her. You'll have the proof the noise isn't coming from your apartment.

Birdyblue

I wanted to go check myself what the level of noise is. But by the time we concluded that this was needed, there was already some tension between us and I feel like doing so now would only look more intrusive. Last night for example, at 10:00 we got angry knocks in the wall (well... floor actually). Would it still be appropriate to request checking the noise?

Our landlord hasn't had previous complaints. But the neighbors told us that their landlord had warned them that water pumps could get quite noisy.
The thing is there are house rules in our building. And indeed they state that any noise should stop after 10 pm. I'd have to check again the exact wording, but I'm still wondering about the toilet. I can't stop flushing the toilet after 10 pm.

punisher5112

Op 1st mistake was giving out phone number.

This is ridiculous apartments depending on build quality can be noisey.

They really need to consider moving as they sound like the type that should move to a house on it's own.


Contact you landlord and explain it's now impacting on your life, privacy and right to be left alone in your home.


Crazy it's been entertained

Birdyblue

I feared as much. Giving the phone number was a mistake we will never ever repeat. But she was talking so much and being so persistent it was hard to refuse at that time. And it seemed reasonable since she was the one so affected.
I fear that switch was also a mistake. Before the switch, it could be blamed on the pump solely. Now, it's us who refuse to turn it off.

Pawwed Rig

You can only act in a reasonable manner to a certain degree which you have done. At this stage I would leave it with the owners to sort out. Maybe apartment living is not for this person.

punisher5112

Only way is cut contact and ignore.

That person needs to move. I would understand a problem if you were drilling and dancing and pumping out music but seriously they sound mad.

Contact your own landlord and state this. You can't take it anymore also consider change of number.

Was pump replaced? They can get loud as older but it's part of an apartment water system as pressure is so bad.

Start recording them banging and the likes and turn it around on them. They keep waking you banging their ceiling....

_Kaiser_

To be honest I think you've been more than accommodating but these people downstairs are being unrealistic and unreasonable.

I live in an apartment... the walls are like paper. I can hear the neighbours upstairs walking around, washing machines, even the toilets flushing. I also have a ridiculously noisy water pump that I think is faulty as it tends to kick in and out every few seconds when running a tap (the estate agent sent two lads that were supposedly plumbers but did f&ck all). As a side note the builders have recently put up an identical block beside us and I'm very tempted sometimes to ask if they did a better job this time! If it wasn't cheap, in a quiet estate and convenient for the motorway I'd probably have moved already.

Anyway as a result I generally don't flush the toilets after 11 and don't have a shower before 7am but equally I don't complain about the couple upstairs. It's not that someone has complained but I do it as a courtesy... but that's as far as I'd go. Anyone who expects more than that shouldn't be living in an apartment.

groovyg

Op was there anybody living in the apartment before these new neighbours moved in? It seems very strange you have been living there over a year with no complaints and now suddenly ye are getting complaints about noise. You have to live in the apartment, watching a film with sub titles on just to keep noise down is just silly.

Birdyblue

We too think they are not used to living in an apartment block. They did say they lived in a house before.
What I really baffles me is that I don't hear any of our neighbors. It's true we live on the top floor, there's nobody "upstairs" to see how it feels. But our neighbors next door have small children. I hear them cry the moment they open doors and get in the hallways, but I never so much as heard a voice or a TV or a washing machine or anything at all through walls. The other guy next door sometimes has his fire alarm triggered by nothing apparently and it sometimes goes on for 12 hours, it happened 2 or 3 times this past year. We hear it, but we could still sleep on it.

I read countless posts on similar complaints. Some were sayign wooden floors are the problem, but we have carpets and no wood whatsoever.

i'm so curious to find out what they hear. they wrote us the noise was "horrible", we figured it was an exaggeration because they were trying to get us to react in a way, it seems to have worked for our landlord who sounded very apologetic.

@groovyg We don't know this, but it's a good point to find out.

I'm also starting to consider asking the other neighbors if they hear anything from us and just gather more info. Would that be appropriate?

punisher5112

Keep to yourself don't go liking for trouble do not ask any other neighbours unless in passing.

It be nice to see if they are complaining about others also.

mada82

You aren't doing anything wrong. You've tried to accommodate them but it's negatively affecting you now.

Maybe it's best to let the landlords deal with it and cut direct contact with the neighbour.

This apartment doesn't suit your neighbour. It's their problem.

handlemaster

Block the neighbours number on your phone. Any issue tell hér to contact landlord.

the_pen_turner

you are going above and beyond for these people.
I would not have put in the switch.. now the problem is you not turning it off.


I would sit down and write a letter to them stating the issues they have and the impact they are having on your life.

keep the tone on the topic of how both parties can come to a solution to this because both are suffering.

tell them you want it sorted as well as them.

when all the facts are written down both parties need to sit down with both land lords.



then tell them that any further reporting of the issue needs to be to both landlords

jcd5971

Birdyblue wrote:

I feared as much. Giving the phone number was a mistake we will never ever repeat. But she was talking so much and being so persistent it was hard to refuse at that time. And it seemed reasonable since she was the one so affected. I fear that switch was also a mistake. Before the switch, it could be blamed on the pump solely. Now, it's us who refuse to turn it off.

Hate to be rude but tell her **** off.
Go to your landlord get him to agree that not having water for a toilet is not on, show your willing to switch it at 12 which is fine IMHO.
once your clear with your landlord and he knows it's not you making excess noise by partying etc your golden.
Then tell this woman to stop texting you, block her number and live your life.

My advice is from living above a troublesome neighbor myself for over a year. Once you toughen up she'll cop on.

foggy_lad

Birdyblue wrote: »

I feared as much. Giving the phone number was a mistake we will never ever repeat. But she was talking so much and being so persistent it was hard to refuse at that time. And it seemed reasonable since she was the one so affected.
I fear that switch was also a mistake. Before the switch, it could be blamed on the pump solely. Now, it's us who refuse to turn it off.

She sounds like a bit of a crackpot to be honest. Maybe she suffers from her nerves or tinnitus but apartment living is definitely not for her!

You should not have entertained her nonsense at all and made your own co plaint to the landlord about her. You can still tell your landlord that you will have to look for somewhere else if her harassment continues. Do ye have the same landlord?

nikkibikki

Look, you've done more than enough. Tell her to get her landlord to soundproof her apartment. There's no more you can do.

Spanish Eyes

Buy her a set of earplugs.

05eaftqbrs9jlh

foggy_lad wrote: »

She sounds like a bit of a crackpot to be honest. Maybe she suffers from her nerves or tinnitus but apartment living is definitely not for her!

You should not have entertained her nonsense at all and made your own co plaint to the landlord about her. You can still tell your landlord that you will have to look for somewhere else if her harassment continues. Do ye have the same landlord?

They shouldn't have to move out. I wouldn't recommend voicing any sentiments that might allude to the idea that I'm willing to move out.

Canadel

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Buy her a set of earplugs.

Advise her to buy a set of earplugs.

face1990

There's nothing more you can do, OP.

Let her contact the respective landlords if she's still unhappy.

jopax

Hi birdyblue,

Absolutely disgraceful the way things have developed over this.
I have lived in semi d houses & have been on the receiving end of late loud music, parties and deliberate banging & shouting/screaming at all hours.
I wish I had neighbours that are as good as yee have been.
You have been above & beyond reasonable here, granted there is noise but it is a toilet flushing & normal living noises.
Surely you are entitled to live without being scrutinised.
Loud music & blaring telly/films, yes they can be turned down, and that is showing respect for your neighbours.
I think you will have to try to talk to your landlord again, to see if he will side with you on this, it is like yee are been victimized here not the complainer.
Like other posters have said, they should move out if they are so sensitive to apartment living.
Stand your ground, I feel like yee have been very compromising & decent here.

Sam Kade

Some people like to complain but we are only getting one side of the story.

Sleeper12

Not sure if your landlord wants to spend any money but you can get quiet pumps.

Shop40

Neither you nor your neighbour are at fault here, it's the fault of the shoddy boomtime (I'm guessing) builder!

Anyone will turn a bit nuts if they can't sleep at night. I used to live in a studio flat where my neighbour left his bathroom light/fan on all night long. It was very noisy and to be honest after a few nights I had to go asking him to turn it off at night. Was I an annoying neighbour? I bet I was! But everyone needs their sleep!!!

The only option here is for the downstairs folk to either use earplugs (which works for me and I now live next door to a pub:)) or move, because as others have said they aren't suited to (Irish) apartment living.

the_pen_turner

I wonder is the pump creating some kind of vibration along the pipe work that is coming up through downstairs.

I think you need to work out if there really is an unbearable noise or if the people are too sensitive.

Dial Hard

Sam Kade wrote:

Some people like to complain but we are only getting one side of the story.

The nature of Boards is that we generally only ever get one side of the story. Most people are willing to take OPs at face value.

the_pen_turner

Dial Hard wrote: »

The nature of Boards is that we generally only ever get one side of the story. Most people are willing to take OPs at face value.

that's the problem with internet forums.
we can only go by the facts the OP tells us and have to take them as fact.


a few years ago I was reading on a tiling forum and this woman posted about a problem she had with her tiler. he refuse to use the tiles for some reason. I think it was a problem with the backing on mosaics . all was going great for the OP until the tiler popped in . he was one of the main posters on the forum and had thousands of posts to his name.

there was a big debate about it
turns out he was right.

OP was happy . tiler was vindicated .
it was a great thread because both sides were represented fiarly

niley

How can it possibly be the water pump that's keeping the neighbour awake at night? All water pumps I know will only be active when a tap is opened, or while a toilet is refilling, so unless you're awake all night yourselves cleaning the dirty dishes/going to the toilet/having showers, the lady down stairs is looking in the wrong place for the source of the disturbance.
How many other apartments are in the same building? The way most apartment buildings are built, for maximum profit and not for the comfort of the residents, it's possible the sound could be travelling from anywhere in the whole complex.
I think you've been more than reasonable in the actions you've taken, the only thing extra you could do is make sure the pump is not coming on of it's own accord, which usually happens because of a dripping tap, or other slow leak somewhere.